Arise! follow me out into the battlefield,
Ye courageous vassals,
And let the clarion call ring out
To battle and the bloody fight!
Thus called the margrave in his distress,
Sorely beset by Tilly’s hordes,
Which, as if carried by the waves of a storm
Approached to wage war!
 
The sons of Baden arose
And grasped their weapons
To stem the proud victorious run
Of the enemies, to punish them;
And even if Tilly’s troops
Were stronger than these valiant men,
Their unshakable courage remained
Steadfast in the storms [of battle].
 
The citizens of Pforzheim, too, brave and bold,
Unfurled their flags,
Four hundred stalwart men went forth
With swords and partisans.
For prince and fatherland, Pforzheim’s men
Are always at the ready
To sacrifice
Goods and chattels and life!
 
Adieu, dear wife, dear child and house,
Adieu, you must not weep!
We go forth in good courage,
The father [of the people] is calling his own.
Church, country and hearth are threatened;
A curse upon him who, craven, does not rise in defence;
Therefore, brethren, without hesitation
Let us dare the utmost!
 
And all of them followed their lord
In the righteous cause
To the battle at Wimpfen, joyfully and gladly
As a faithful guard of honour!
Man by man they all stood
Clad in helmet and armour
In the murderous clash
At the side of their prince.
 
The small army had already
Almost won through to victory,
With gay courage and strong defence
[They had almost] overcome the superior forces;
Then fortune faithlessly turned,
For alas, a dark mishap
Dispersed their members
And tore victory from them again.
 
If everything be lost now,
Let us rescue the prince,
There is nothing more holy for us
To do in this adversity!
With a holy oath, Pforzheim’s citizens
Exchanged this manly vow,
And with bold recklessness
They threw themselves upon the enemies.
 
And when the prince was saved
And had escaped the danger,
The courageous group of citizens too
Had won the wreath of posthumous reputation!
They did not fall back and did not falter,
Full of courage and lofty assurance,
Even when thousands of swords flashed
To drink their heroes’ blood.
 
And all of them sank down dying
Upon the bloody field of honour,
Still retaining even in death
Their loyal civic spirit.
Four hundred lay upon the plain,
And all of them, man after man,
For Margrave George’s life
Had given their own!
 
Where such high courage has proven itself,
It should be powerful extolled!
Where citizens’ loyalty and citizens’ blood
Has achieved the noble goal:
To protect the father of the land,
Sorely threatened, in danger and dire straits,
There prince and people are in good council
And stand in the grace of God!